Pocket lighter and the like



L. V. ARCNSON POCKET LIGHTER AND THE LIKE Filed Dec. 13, 1928 "wann Jung 3, l930,

aolighter construction.v

d Patented June UNITED" STATES PAFIENr 'ori-ficsvigouisv, AnoNsoN, or.' NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, Assioma 'ro nr wenn, inc., s

' .acoaronurroirornnwrnasm f POGIET LIGHTER; AND THE 'LIKE Application med December 18, 1998. Serial lo. $795,678.

' The invention relates in general to lighters and the like devices,and more articularly to the casin structure of such evices of 'a type adapte to be carried, for example, in

o the users pocket.

The objectsv of the invention include the provision of such a device, the various operating parts of which cooperate to f ormsubstantially smooth and continuous outer walls enclosing a construction which is eilicient in use, rugged, and inexpensive to manufacture. Various other andinore specific features and advantages of the invention willv beaparent from the, following description and p 16 rom an inspection of drawings. v

In the drawingsv Fig. 1 is a elevational view part of one example of the invention ein4 the accompanying in section odied in a Fi 2 is a detailV sectional view taken substantially on the line 2 -2 of Fig, 1; Fi -3 is another vertical sectional' view showing the operating. parts in closed posi tion;

Fi 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3but showin t e operating parts in open sition; an

1g. 5 is atop plan view of 't e li hter. v In the following description an in the claims, parts will be identified by specific names for convenience, but such names are intended to be as generic in their applica# tion tov similar parts as the art will ermit.

-Referring now to the drawing in detail, the example `of the lighter 'shown come prisesa casing 10 having a flat bottomwall 11, substantially fiat side "walls 12 and 1 3 andcurved vend walls 14 and -15. The casing is providedwith adividing wall 16 made up of oiset uEper and lower portions 17 and A18 connected an o bli ue-or curved portion' 19. The -space Abelow t edividingwall*- 16 constitutes a'v reservoir holding absorbent material for the fuel, while thev space above the dvidi wall is for the operating parts including t c sparking wheel'and sparking metal.A ,l Aw'ick tube 2 0 isprovided in the yu per oiset portion 17 ,and a wick 21 extendsft ere- 150.through into thefuel reservoir. A curved" scopin'l'ghwithin adjoininghwalls of the cas-` -provided with gear teeth forming racks.

g1 side w .38, 39 is positioned within the si e walls 12, 13 of the casing and carries a snuifer mem# v d sparking wheel 24 having aribbedo'uter .'ci'i-l -cumference 44' and a recess 45 in one face.-

er' 'wheel 43. 38. y-A second screw 54 havingits head jour "13 passes throu L 39 and thr'ea guide tube 22 extends from the bottom wall d 11 to the oblique curved wall portion 19 and contains the s arkin metal 23 and a suitable Vvcoil spring not's own) for holding the sparking metal against a sparking wheel 24., A screw cap 25 closes the open end ofthe tube 22, and a second screw cap'26is provided in the bottom of the fuel reservoir removable for filling the reservoir with fue De nding from the lower offset portion 18 is a eeve seat 27 holdin a -coil spring 28 and a plunger 29. Secure 'to the upper end ,of the plunger-29 is a thumb piece 30 com- 'I op wall 31, depending -at side walls 32"and a curved end wall- 34,

e side walls'32are' ing. e inner edges of A snuer carrgin'g member 36 comprising" aat top wall 3 and dependm ber 40 adapted -toy seat over the wick holder 20 when the lighter is closed. "Pinions 41'17"s l and 42 arel positioned outside the side walls 38,39 and between these s ide walls is placed Within the recess is an inner .wheel 46 having arecess 47 in which a pawl 48 is pivoted. The inner wheel has a second recess seatinga coil spring 50 tourge the pawl a ainst .ratchet teeth 451 on the inner surface o the sparking- A screw 52 havin its head journalled in an openin'g53- in the side waJl 12 passes through the gear 41, and is threaded i'nto'the sidewall nalled in an opening 55 in the other sidewallff h the gear 42, -the sidewall ed, into .the inner4 wheelA 46.v

The inner wheel 46 is additionall secured to 37 is so shaped at 57 as jtoa'void interference vwith other operating parts. n

iian'ge 58.v 100 The ,top wall 37 of the snuer 'carrying mem- -ber 36 is flush withthe U-'shape flange 58 and is also Hush with the top wall 31 of the thumb piece 30, when the lighter is closed.

'.'lo operate the lighter, it is grasped in the hand and the thumb piece 30 pressed down, causing the sparking wheel 24 to rotate against the sparking metal 23, and the snu'er 40 to rise to the position shown in Fig. 4.

The gears 41 and 42 are secured to the snuiferf `carrying member and movementof the rack teeth 35 causes the gears 41 and 42, the snuifer i carrying member 36, the sparking' wheel 24 .and screws 52 and 54 to rotate, the screws 52- and 54 having `bearing in the holes 53 and 55. The rubbingof the sparking wheel against Athe sparking metal causes a shower of sparks to impingeon the wick 21 thereby i it, as is well understood. The thum piece is held down as long as it is desired to make use of the light,"and then' it is released, the coil spring 28 movin it upwardly and the snuier carrying mem er 36 swinging downwardly'to the position shown in Fig. 3. The sparking Wheel 24 'partakes of no backward movement, however, jbecause of the ratchet and pawl arrangement 48, 5 1.

Thus it will be seen that, when the lighter is closed, .it presents the appearance of a container having substantially unbroken and flush walls. All .parts are enclosed, protecting the working parts from dirt and enhancing the` attractiveness of the lighter. The

odset portions of the dividing wall allow the sparking metal'to be properly positioned for the formation of sparks close to the wick and at the same timeaids in increasing the volume plication Ser. No.A 196,255, filed June his ofthe fuel reservoir without interference with the proper arrangement of the operating mechanism.

Certainfeatures of the operating mechanism shown are claimed in my copending ag- 3, 192 While I have described my invention in detail and with-respect to a certain embodiment thereof, Ido not desire to be vlimited to such details or forms, since many changes and modifications may bel made and the invention may be embodied Vin other forms with? out departing from the spirit and scope of the invention in its broader aspects. Hence --I desire to cover all modifications and forms coming within the' language or scope of any one or more of the appended-claims.

. by Letters Patent is:

What I claim as new and desire to secure 1. -A lighter comprising a casing having a i dividing wall below its top, a wick holder on 'said dividing wall, a wick in said holder and extendin down into said casing, a sleevedepending rom said dividing wall, a coil spring ...inrsaid sleeve, -a plunger above said spring, `a thumb-piece over said plunger, said thumb-- piece having aflat top ,walland depending side walls and anfendwall telescoping in itin'g 'means close-tting relation within corresponding side and end walls of said casing, gear teeth on the inner edges of the side walls ofsaid thumb-piece, a carrying member having a top wall and depending side walls, a snuer member carried by said carrying member to engage over said wick, gears secured to t-he sidewalls respectively of said carrying member and meshing with said teeth, a sparking wheel between the side walls of said carryingv member, sparking metal coactingwith said sparking wheel, and a pivot means passing throughthe side walls of said casing and operatively connecting said carrying member, said gears and said wheel, said top walls being substantially flush when the lighter is closed. 4

2. In combination, a casing adapted to contain a liquid medium, opposite side and end walls of said casing extendin above the casing top wall to form a cham er open at its top, a conduit opening into said casing through said top wall, a memberl adapted to cover said conduit and pivoted 4for movement within said chamber, and a reciprocatory member extending vertidally through said chamber, said reciprocatory member and said pivoted member, when the latter is 'in closed position, cooperatingjointly to substantially closethe upper end of said chamber. j

3.- .In combination, a casing adapted to contain a liquid medium, opposite side and end walls of said casing extending above the casing. top wall to form a chamber open at its top, aconduit opening into said casing through said top wall, a member pivoted for 'movement within saidchamber, means carried by said memberv for closing the upper end of said conduit, said casing having a cavity depending downwardly from said top wall, a member reciprocatory in said cavity and comprising a thumb-piece on its upper end, a coiled spring in said cavity for biasing said reciprocatory member outwardly, sai

thumb-piece having depending sections adapted to be vslidably and telescopically d isposed within said chamber close 'to the ad] acent side and end walls of said casing, and

means for connecting said thumb-piece and "ing top wall to form a'chamber open at its top, a conduit opening into said casing through said top wall, a member adapted to ico cover said conduit and pivoted for movement with respect to said chamber, anda reciprocatory member extending vertically through said chamber, interengaging means 4 between said reciprocatory and pivoted members whereb their upper surfaces are maintained in su stantial-ly the same plane when said pivoted member is in closed osition, sald plvoted member and a sectlono sald reciprocatory member co0 erating jointly, at

times, to substantially c ose the upper end of said chamber.

In testimoz' "whereof I have signed my name to this iecication. p

LOUIS V. ARONSON. 

